The handling of animals generally requires sorting and grouping the animals and moving the animals into various areas. Gates have been developed to direct animals into one of a plurality of pens for containing the animals. Typically, gates are provided along an alley. To sort the animals, an operator watches the animal and simply waits until the animal finds the open gate. The animal is typically not guided to the gate and it may take some time for the animal to find the open gate. This adds to the time needed for sorting the animals. Further, occasionally, for example when the animal becomes confused, the operator must trail the animal and direct the animal to the correct gate. This requires operator involvement and again adds to the time needed for sorting the animals.